Day of Prayer and Fasting

Ary Scheffer, The Temptation of Christ (1854)

Some of the Catholics in the Diocese of Arlington called for today to be a special Day of Prayer and Fasting in solidarity with the US Bishops against the HHS mandate. It's a very good idea. If you can't do a traditional fast today (two small meals and a normal sized one), I encourage you to substitute something else in its place (give up TV or music or something). Fill those gaps with prayer for the bishops, for President Obama and his Administration, for religious freedom, and for a conversion of hearts and minds.

The timing is perfect. There are rumors that the president will announce an alternative plan today, requiring insurance companies, rather than religious organizations, to pay for contraception.  This is certainly better, but it's still a violation of conscience rights.  I said in an e-mail yesterday that it's almost as if the prospect of the public and the Church paying for contraception and abortion is so severe that we're willing to accept the public paying for contraception and abortion. We shouldn't be.

Today, we might find out whether that's the case.

Update: It's as bad as I feared.  My reaction here.